


Kintsugi

by sunkenshipsanddreams



Series: Tales of Sadala and Saturn [3]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Dragon Ball
Genre: Alien Biology, Coming of Age, Drunken Shenanigans, Gen, Martians, Memory Magic, Never let Okara drink alcohol. Bad things happen., Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pack Bonding, Saiyan Culture, Saiyans, Silver Millennium Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22486240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkenshipsanddreams/pseuds/sunkenshipsanddreams
Summary: Follows two days after "From One Star To Another." Okara gathers with the Inner Senshi and Princess Serenity in celebration of the turn of a century, but for Okara it's a time of newfound adulthood.
Series: Tales of Sadala and Saturn [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617832





	Kintsugi

Cassiopeia held a bowl of dusky blue face paint in her gold-casted hands, walking over to a table with five matching bowls with differently pigmented paints inside. The Venusian woman held her cobalt blue eyes level with her fellows in the room, taking into account that there were only four other females in the room instead of five as originally planned.

“Where is our youngest?” she questioned, brow raised. 

“Okara?” Serenity asked, looking around before blinking- as if she had remembered something. “She's on her way back from the Graduation Ceremony on Titan. She should be here in less than ten minutes if her ship gets here early.”

Almost as if the fifteen year old girl had been summoned from thin air, she appeared at the doorway in a Saturnian military uniform coat of rich violet hues and a pair of black pants tucked into sleek silver greaves. She had again grown taller than what the Inners had last remembered of her, but her hair seemed to remain in the same style as always. Her tail was wrapped around her waist like a rather tight sash- showing her obvious discomfort in the formal military wear.

“Am I late?” she asked, startling Aris and Lyra- as they'd been standing before her without looking back. 

Serenity threw her arms out wide, her smile just as large and blinding as she ran over to her. “Okara!” 

Okara responded by offering a bow traditional to the Miasmic Tribe of Sadala before hugging her back. “I see that we're all wearing traditional clothes(and guessed as much), so I brought some traditional wear of my own.” The young chiefess held up a black satin bag large enough to hold a medium sized dog, and the slight clinking of metal echoed through the room before Europa assaulted her in a hug strong enough to crack a rib or two in the case of a normal Terran. 

“Go on, join us! I'd like to see what kind of things are traditional on your homeworld!” Europa encouraged, releasing the young Saiyan from her hold. 

Okara laughed, stalking out of the room with her sack in tow. 

Lyra looked at the others, heartbeat having returned to normal. “Now that I look at it, I do suppose this is the first time Okara has worn anything remotely traditional for her people, isn’t it?”

Aris reluctantly nodded, thinking back to everything that she had ever seen Okara wear over the three years they had known her. Not one part of it looked like something that anyone would wear in a tribal setting. 

Before any further discussion could be said, Okara emerged back into the room wearing a black sleeveless bodysuit with a turtleneck attached, her legs and feet covered with black and gold boots with the occasional strip of silver around her shin and heel and a finely cut piece of morion centermost below her knee on each shoe. Around her neck was a dusky blue scarf with the Morionra crest emblazoned in white directly under her chin, and her forearms were clad in fingerless vambraces with silver accents and larger cuts of gemstone shaped like six pointed stars just shy of her upper wrist. On her left bicep, however, was an intricate silver band with a number of patterns etched into the metal with sparkling siam pieces embedded into the thick of the material.

Her tail was decorated in much the same manner- with one golden band close to the tip of the furry appendage, but not so close where it would easily fall off. A silver and black tube was also firmly attached with three smaller pieces of silver wound around it to look like separate rings with smaller, squared pieces of morion connecting the bands like a rope. Closer to the tip of her tail were two red bands and two dusky blue that matched the morion gems she was adorned with. 

Along her waist was a red sash that held up both Okara’s pants and a dusky blue side skirt with golden trim- the latter bearing intricate weaving designs in red along the center of the cloth.

“That’s traditional wear on Sadala? I would have assumed something like what Europa typically wears after hours of training every day.” Aris guessed, taking in her appearance with surprise. 

“Really?” Europa deadpanned, causing the normally stoic Martian to chuckle. 

“Have you known me for anything less than my honesty, Europa?” Aris smirked, lilac eyes gleaming with a playfulness not often seen in the fire maiden. 

While four of the Inners were conversing amongst themselves, Cassiopeia waved her over to the table to paint her face. 

Okara pulled over the bowl with the dusky blue colloidal liquid, grabbing a medium-sized brush to paint with. She pointed to just under her right eye, using her thumb to mark where she wanted the emblem placed and smoothing out the crinkles in her scarf to display the white crest emblazoned on it in a more prominent fashion. 

“In my culture, we have our Tribe’s crest placed somewhere on our clothes for our ceremonial rites. Upon adulthood, it’s much the same.” Okara inundated. Cassiopeia chuckled, gripping the brush between deft fingers as she dipped it into the paint.

“I see why you held on to that wooden carving so much, now,” the Venusian royal smiled cryptically, the gilded markings on her face sliding upwards with her lips. “That’s your ancestral crest, isn’t it?”

Okara nodded, leaning forward so Cassiopeia could actually paint her face. “If I were on Sadala today, then right now, I would be becoming either a General or the Chieftain of my Tribe.”

Cassiopeia didn’t pause as she worked. “A high honor from the previous Chieftain, I suppose.”

Okara held back a snort, opting to give a look of nostalgia. “If said Chieftain hadn’t been my _ father _ , then yes- it  _ would _ be a proud moment for me.” 

The eighteen year old moved her brush away to inspect her handiwork, nodding to see that she had captured it correctly. “I am finished.” 

Okara spied a mirror off to the side, turning her head to the left to find the familiar double-arch with its familiar elongated dots on the top, and it was like a weight had been lifted free of her chest. 

It was… liberating to finally wear her crest like this again- especially after six years. 

“Cassiopeia,” Okara started, lavender eyes wide with surprise and growing joy. “Thank you for this.” 

The blonde laughed, washing off her paintbrush. “Not a problem. You  _ are  _ away from your planet. The most I could do was give you back some of your culture, young one.”

Still, Okara felt incredibly grateful towards the woman. “No, really- I can’t thank you enough for this. If I ever get the chance to go back to Sadala sometime, I’d like to show you around. As thanks for putting up with my… less than stellar antics.” 

Europa came over to the pair, wrapping a thickly muscled arm over Okara’s shoulders. “No problem!”

“If Sadala’s  _ gravity _ doesn’t make us  _ paste _ first. Not to mention the plants and animals constantly looking for prey.” Lyra deadpanned, knowing how Sadala’s ecosystem and gravitational field worked. 

Okara’s expression turned sheepish, lavender eyes diverging in direction from the Mecurian woman. “I forgot about that, actually…” 

Everyone else looked at her in disbelief. 

“...How do you forget the world you were born on has both  _ carnivorous flora  _ and  _ predominantly carnivorous fauna _ ?” Lyra questioned out of sheer incredulity. 

“In my defense, the last time I even so much as  _ looked  _ at Sadala I had just turned nine years old,” Okara grumbled, crossing her arms indignantly like a child. “I can’t be blamed for getting kidnapped by mad people in the first place.”

Lyra shot her a partly scathing glance, knowing that while the younger girl had meant well, she was also being a bit rude. 

Serenity, on the other hand, nearly went jumping on the Saiyan’s back as Europa went to get her face marked, body vibrating as if she had too much sugar and questions all in one vessel. 

“So what does Sadala look like?” She pressed, and Okara pulled a chair from the side of the room for her to sit in- lest she yet again slip and fall. 

“In terms of appearance, I would say that Sadala is basically a larger Terra- only with twelve continents instead of seven. Our gravity is just about equivalent to our size and density, which would probably flatten anyone from the rockier worlds here, considering it’s ten-twelve times higher than most planets or planetoids in this system. Further towards the west is where everything is drier than the deserts on Mars- especially the Cabha Plains, where mostly everything is on fire year-round from the intense heat,” Aris gave her a strange look, being a Martian (and a fire user) herself. “I’m not kidding- most of those plains are so burned up, they’re  _ entirely  _ unrecognizable. We have two moons- Diyan and Aihuy, and come the Diyan celebration every year on the last week of the second month, everyone made a big deal about it- I think it’s one of the few times I can ever recall my father being so drunk my mother had to carry him home.” Okara chuckled wistfully. “Oh, it has its terrors and horrifying features, but Sadala was home.”

“I wish that I could have gone back at least once… to see how everyone’s doing. Maybe to see how much Fenn’s grown in the past six years.” Okara said, looking out into the desert sands of Mars.

“Fenn?” Europa questioned, done with her facial decorating as she rose a brow. 

“My younger brother,” Okara admitted, tail hanging limp as if all of the emotion had been sucked out of her. “Last I saw of him, he was only three… maybe he’s forgotten me.” Her lavender eyes dulled a bit as she leaned against the windowsill. “If he has, then I don’t blame him. He would probably think me dead by now if he still remembers our time together.”

This time, Aris placed a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. “You may not be able to go back to your home, Okara… but always remember that you’ve found one here.”

Okara blinked, wide lavender gazing into calm lavender, and she mentally asked herself if she had ever decided to indulge into any of the  _ Ajjhi  _ no doubt waiting to be consumed in the banquet hall. 

_ “I  _ sincerely _ hope that I'm not drunk,”  _ Okara thought aloud in Sadalan, earning a gaggle of confused looks other than the barely suppressed snicker from Lyra as the Mercurian woman turned her head.  _ “Because if I am, then we  _ both  _ must have had a dip in the alcohol.” _

And Lyra let a chuckle slip free from her usually composed mask, as if she actually found that funny. 

“I have no idea what she just said.” Cassiopeia admitted, casting Okara a confused look. 

“She said that she hoped she wasn’t drunk, because there is no way that Aris, Princess of Mars would have  _ ever _ told her that,” Lyra translated, earning a deadpan look from the subjects of conversation. “Because if she did, then they  _ both _ must have had one-too-many goblets.”

Aris gave Okara a look that promised pain, but Okara remained unfazed by the heat behind it and merely shrugged. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” Okara deadpanned. “So forgive me for thinking that I was imagining things before you roast me over a spit.” 

“Sorry, but I find the taste of Saiyan to be undesirable at best.” Aris rebutted, voice low. 

“Then we can agree to disagree. In the meantime, I’ve been meaning to ask if there was some way to view memories, or a planet’s orbital view here.” Okara changed the subject so fluidly, it was as if her voice had been water. 

Aris shot her a look of confusion. “There should be. Why are you asking?” 

“Because I do, in fact, know what  _ manners _ are, despite the general consensus that I don’t across a good portion of this star system. This is also your homeworld, so I’m making sure not to tread on thin ice.” Okara deadpanned, the fifteen year old standing with her back straight and matching Serenity’s height with ease.

Aris stared at her a moment, as if searching for any sign of deception before she sighed in resignation. “Fine. I’ll lead you there as soon as we get done with portraits.” 

Inwardly, Okara flung ki blasts like the finale of a fireworks show was going off in her head. “Fine by me.”

  
  


Eventually, markings were done and portraits were ready to be taken. 

Okara stood to the side and out of view, waiting patiently for her turn as Serenity went up first. 

Aris gently tapped her bare shoulder, getting the young chiefess’ attention. “While I understand wishing to know about how we view memories here on Mars, I  _ do  _ wonder just what you would be using it  _ for _ ,” the Martian whispered, face covered in intricate red markings that vaguely resembled a burning flame. 

“To see Sadala,” Okara replied, tone wistful. “It’s been six years since I was last there, and I haven’t so much as seen it in years. I vaguely even remember what my tribe’s Territory looks like anymore.”

Aris gave the fifteen year old a softened look, different from what she typically gave her, and silence reigned over the two. 

Aris was next to go, followed by Europa, Cassiopeia and Lyra- then finally Okara before they were all assembled for one photo- a sign of unity.

**_~:x:~_ **   
  


Two hours later, the group went down to the Eastern Wing of Agnon Temple to view the Spirit’s Hall, lead by Aris as she performed the proper rites to enter the gargantuan chamber. Upon entry, Okara couldn’t refrain from gawking at the grandiose architecture, being reminded of the Chief's Hall in Bactan Territory from one of her few visits there.

Aris stepped forward and lit the torches in the center of the domed room, chanting something in an old Martian tongue that Okara most certainly could not understand.

Then the room darkened before stars blinked into existence, Okara’s face twisting into awe at the sight. Aris looked back at her, seemingly taking amusement from the gobsmacked look on her face. 

“This room works with your memories and thoughts as you will it. All you have to do is give the display a command and it will follow it… so long as you are specific about it.” Aris instructed, gesturing to the stars floating around aimlessly. 

Okara closed her eyes in thought, bringing memories of her homeworld to the forefront of her mind. What came first was her favorite spot to view the Panbu Sea over by the borders of Zircontic Territory on the S’ahu Continent, surrounded by its many glaciers and rocky outcroppings. The sounds of the many species of  _ aryui’em  _ that were always flying around like there was no time left for anything else in the world. Even Potau City just over by its expansive beaches, standing with all the pride of the Zircontic Tribe’s capital as Diyan and Aihuy stood sentinel above in the blue expanse of the heavens. 

Then came the noises of impression, along with the sounds of the sea and the many creatures of the land, sea and sky. Okara opened her eyes, hoping that she didn't accidentally will away the memory by taking a peek, and saw exactly what she had remembered in breathtaking detail. Even people walking around aimlessly and parents with their cubs were out and about.

"This is…" Okara started, trailing off as she had no words for it.

"Amazing," Lyra finished for her. "Where exactly are we?"

"Potau City, the Zircontic capital city. My mother used to take me down here to see the continent she was born on, but I didn't think that I would actually remember Potau, let alone Zircontic Territory," Okara replied, making sure to keep her eyes low. Looking over to the right, she saw the ever turbulent waves teeming with life underneath them- despite the numerous glaciers floating about. Kneeling over to the waters she tentatively dipped a hand within them, feeling a definite chill, but not the biting frost that always seemed to permeate her skin.

“Zircontic Territory’s up north, isn’t it?” Europa questioned, hand to her chin. 

Okara shook her head. “Zircontic Territory and Azorean Territory are both on the continent of S’ahu- which is  _ south  _ of Miasmic Territory. The Tribes are rather spread out among the other eleven continents on Sadala.”

Okara was rewarded with silence, even from Lyra as she began to theorize as was normal for her. “Is there something wrong?”

Aris was the first to be shaken out of her apparent daze. “You mentioned Tribes. How many of them live on Sadala?” she asked, looking up towards Diyan. 

“There are eleven Tribes and twelve continents. I hail from the continent of Ae’hu in the North, homeland of the Morionra Tribe.” Then, a thought struck her. “Maybe I can show you though an orbital view.”

Again, Okara closed her eyes and willed the picture of Planet Sadala back to her mind- a small ice cap on top and a much larger one on the bottom, and seven of the twelve continents visible surrounded by countless stars and nebulae. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with a perfect picture of Sadala before her, with Diyan and Aihuy on either side of the large world in all their splendor. 

Floating upward, Okara tried to pick out which continent was which among the many before her. After five minutes, she saw one that looked very familiar and gestured to it as if she were auctioning goods to possible investments.

“Ladies,” she said dramatically. “I present to you my birthplace and homeland of the Morionra Tribe of Sadala; The Ae’hu continent.” Okara announced, hands gesturing to the large landmass with its top half covered in white. The continent itself vaguely resembled one of the continents on Terra with its earthen hues and shimmering white, and Okara pointed to a spot that bordered along the green and white. “This little spot right here- that’s where Lekani Pass in Sag’ae Province is. That’s where I was born and raised.”

Lyra spoke up. “Where would all of the tribes aside from your own be?”

Okara pointed to three continents away from Ae’hu. “Seig, Ung’hui and Topou- home to the Viotelkan, Erinitic and Bactan Tribes in that respective order,” she pointed to two more, one seeming to be more of an archipelago and the other nearly hexagonal in shape. “Mut’hu and S’ahu- home to the Miasmic and Azorean/Zircontic tribes.” Okara pointed to the last of the visible landmasses. “And finally, Agabe- home to Methystan Tribe. Currently facing away from our sun are Ban’tu, Halib, and Valim- home to the Auruman, Ambren and Emeraldan Tribes. Of course, there’s also the continent reserved for the Time of Tribute, but nobody really goes there unless they’re visiting the temples for the gods.”

“Temples for the gods?” Aris asked curious. 

“Temples for the gods being, in this exact order of most worshipped to most obsessed over: The Temple of Rey, God of the Sun. Temple of Diyan, Goddess of the Moon. Temple of Khagan, Goddess of the Hunt. Temple of Shah, God of the Seas. Temple of Raja, God of the Harvest. Temple of Malik, Goddess of Fertility. Temple of Emir, God of the Land. Temple of Kaiser, Goddess of Death. Temple of Czar, God of War,” Okara humorlessly chuckled. “You can guess just how many Saiyans visit Czar’s temple. I know for a fact that I can’t count that number.”

Okara had a point- given that the Saiyans were a people of  _ war _ , it would make sense that the God of War would be the most coveted. “I, however, typically visited the Temple of Khagan, because I grew up a huntress and wanted to give Her my respects.” 

“What about the Temple of Diyan?” Serenity asked hopefully. 

Okara laughed out loud, as if she had considered it. “I visited the Temple of Diyan every time my Tribe went over there, so I went often.”

“However,” Okara sighed. “I’ve also had to visit the Temple of Kaiser just as often. After all, Sadala  _ is _ home to a warrior race- which means that we have a lot of wars. Unfortunately enough, another world war between all of the Tribes would end with Sadala becoming, well, an asteroid field. Especially if we all transform come the full moon.”

_ ‘Transform?’  _ they all thought.

“But that’s enough about my depressing experiences! Who wants to see the capital city of Bactan Territory?” Okara changed it up so quickly, bringing forth the image of a proud desert city with the golden Bactan Crest emblazoned on one of the many flags above the city. The night seemed to be endless with a beautiful pale blue luminescence hanging in the sky like a trail of glowing water- and immediately it was recognized as a piece of the galaxy. 

“Here we are in Rutoa, capital city of the Bactan Tribe and Kars’ birthplace. This particular region is also where most of the Saiyan Military is centered due to the harsh conditions- it’s where our main Training Academy is. I spent a year here learning alongside the best when I was a toddler at my grandfather’s suggestion, but  _ damn  _ if the man wasn’t pushy about each and every one of his grandchildren doing King Balku a great service by actually enlisting.” 

Cassiopeia chuckled. “It sounds as if your grandfather was adamant about being true to Czar.”

“You have  _ no _ idea,” Okara groaned out of exasperation. “Anyway, there is one more place that I’d like to show you all.”

Once again, the scenery changed to show a grand and large city with the Miasmic Crest proudly presented on the main outer wall of an even more immaculate palace, with statues of what Okara could easily recognize as the Gods of the Saiyan race crowning the gateway to the large center of commerce.

Aris inspected the tallest of them all- a woman with slim features and an equally thin tail dressed up in a tabard and form fitting pants with skintight armbands. “Is she a queen or a goddess?” she asked aloud, catching Okara’s attention.

“That would actually be the Goddess Kaiser- Keeper of the land of the dead. Legend has it that any mortal that She kisses ends up dead in the time it takes to blink.” Okara impishly chuckled, and Aris’ hackles rose ever so slightly from irritation at her insinuation. 

The young ensign continued. Over by Europa is the God Raja- who is responsible for the harvests typically produced in the Eastern Territories,” she gestured over to Cassiopeia, “Standing tall and proud beside Cassiopeia, is the Goddess Malik- Matriarch of Bounty. Her touch to the lands She chooses are what allow Raja to bring good fortune. She’s also who a good number of Saiyan females go to visit for a healthy child if carrying.” This time Okara’s cheeks pinked, starkly contrasting with her pale skin as she coughed into a fist. “Okay, moving on.”

She gestured over to Lyra, who had been observing a lanky, robe-clad young man with hair that looked like it was forever waterlogged, his tail looking much the same. “Next to Lyra is the God Shah- Conqueror of the Seas and the swiftest of the Pantheon. The Azoreans and Methystans go batshit crazy over Him because the seas by their continents are more favorable for sailing on.” Okara walked over to the one closest to her- a woman with short,wavy hair and two longer braids framing her cherubic face. She wore furs on her arms and a thick bodysuit, perfect for the colder weather. “Here, beside where I stand, is the Goddess Khagan- Huntress of the Winds. Among my closest neighboring Tribe, the Erinitic people, there is a legend about how She guides the way to where the most plentiful game is hidden come frost season.” The Morionra gestured over to Serenity, giving the older female a mysterious grin and wink. “Beside Serenity is the Queen of our Pantheon- the Goddess Diyan. She is who the larger of our two moons is named for, and, as follows, is our lunar deity. Wife to Rey, Diyan is, well, why all eleven Tribes come here for two weeks to celebrate the Lunar New Year- when both Diyan(the moon, not the Goddess) and Aihuy are full.”

Okara pointed over to the far left of the wall, where a man dressed in what looked like formal military clothing stood ramrod straight with a scowl that could rival Aris’ pryomancy at its hottest, tail wrapped around his waist as his hair flowed upwards like a furious tempest. “Here, we have the God Czar- General of War and Emperor of the West. Reason for the latter being that the Bactan and Auruman Tribes are always getting into scuffles with each other for the smallest of transgressions, like who accidentally destroyed whose stall in the market! Honestly, I’m surprised that we didn’t end up in the middle of yet  _ another _ Argul War after the most recent one.” 

She walked over to the statue on the far right with wild, long hair in several braids of different size, clearly male and clad in only a toga with a beaded anklet. “Here, we have the God Emir- Overseer of Land. It doesn’t matter if the land He keeps vigil over is the soil beneath our feet or the highest mountains in the North, Emir is watchful over all.”

Finally, they came to the man in the center with a young, but wisened face with shaggy, messy hair clad in a pair of loose pants held up by a wide sash, complete with a wide collared tunic. “Last, but most definitely not least, is the God Rey- King of our Pantheon and our Sun God. Diyan’s husband. Personally, I think that the Azoreans obsess over this guy a bit  _ too _ much, because on one of my last visits to Azorean Territory, during preparations for the Rey Festival right in the middle of dry season, more than a few people went over to his Temple to shower His Brilliance.” Okara looked over to the side, looking ready to puke a little. “Honestly, it was a bit, um…” she looked over to Aris or Lyra, unsure of how to phrase it. “...What’s the word, exactly?”

“I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘overwhelming’,” Lyra supplied as soon as Aris opened her mouth. 

“Yes, that.” Okara sighed, sending her a thankful grin. The Saiyan turned around to face them, a proud smile on her face as she prepared to announce just where exactly they were. “As for where we are, I would like to present to you ladies the Miasmic capital city; Venghal. Home to Sadala’s Sadaal Palace, this is where the Miasmic Tribe of the Mut’hu Continent were originally established some twelve thousand years ago.” Okara smiled widely enough to show her fangs a bit. “It’s also Sadala’s main capital.”

The looks of awe that she received from her companions couldn't have lifted a greater weight from her chest in that moment.

Okara willed the images back to the furthest recesses of her mind, restoring their surroundings back to the Memory Room in Agnon Temple. 

“Well,” Okara stated, stretching out her arms and tail. “I think that it’s time to head down to the banquet hall, no?” 

**_~:x:~_ **   
  


As soon as they were all gathered in the large dining room, Okara made a point to sit as far away from everyone else when she caught a whiff of Aris’ scent occupying the space beside her. 

“And you are not joining in the merriment because…?” The nineteen year old questioned, having washed off the face paint some thirty minutes earlier.

“Well, this is your world. With your people on it and everything. I’m merely a deposed chieftain without a homeland. Without a people to guide or be guided by. And with absolutely  _ no idea _ if my only immediate family is even  _ alive  _ anymore.” Okara sighed, looking outside towards the large expanse of rocky, carnelian-hued soil. “It would feel too much like I’m imposing on something meant for you. Even if you  _ are  _ making an attempt to make me feel welcome, it might not work. Sadala, my world, is where my heart lies… and I have no way back to it unless the ships between our star systems manage to gain better speed.” Okara bitterly intoned. The look in her eyes grew to be even more sad than Aris had ever remembered of the somewhat rambunctious young woman.

“I may have forged strong bonds here, in this star system, but I will never actually have my home back. Don’t misunderstand, Aris,” Okara quickly rectified, holding up a hand in a placating gesture but not looking over to her. “I will forever cherish the bonds we’ve made. But honestly, I miss my packmates. I miss my  _ family _ . And I miss the days where my life wasn’t just having to kill to survive- before the Kakar War and before getting kidnapped.” Okara quickly wiped away the tears she knew were building in her eyes, as if angry with herself for even feeling sadness in the first place. 

“We feel nostalgia,” Aris spoke up beside her, earning a surprised look from the Saiyan. “We feel longing. But what we must remind ourselves is that while we may have lost what we cherish, we gain new things as our lives progress. You and I may have had a few disagreements over matters as the past three years have gone by-” 

“Try ‘attempts at killing each other’, and you would be quite a bit more apt with that,” Okara deadpanned, cutting off her senior. 

Aris sent her a withering glare, opting to continue. “...That being said, it is incredibly vital to remember that despite our prior issues, they’ve brought us closer, no?” 

“Unless you count that time that I needed to have my tail removed and regrown because you left it mostly burned all over, I’d say we were close to seeing who could bring the other to the brink of death three years ago.” Okara deadpanned yet again. 

“By Ares, you are insufferable.” Aris muttered into her palm. 

“I think you mean ‘ridiculously painful,’ no?” Okara chuckled, adjusting her scarf as a devilish grin overtook her features. 

“No, I actually mean insufferable.” Aris replied, stonefaced. 

“Are you certain?” Okara asked, voice teasing as the moonlight glinted off of the morion gemstones on her forearms. 

“Very.” Now, the Martian princess looked rather annoyed. “Now can you stop with your attempts at teasing?”

“I don’t know, maybe I’m waiting for Kaiser to kiss me.” Okara’s smirk only grew along with Aris’ ire- before Okara realized what had just come out of her mouth and her face turned as red as the siam pieces that she was wearing. “O-okay, let me  _ rephrase  _ that  _ entirely _ ,” Okara frantically sputtered, holding her hands out with her eyes as wide as the(unbeknownst to Okara) full moons outside. “I was  _ not _ , by  _ any  _ means flirting with you!”

Aris’ face turned into one of surprise as she put the pieces together. 

Apparently, that was an accidental gesture of courtship.

“I’m sorry?” Aris numbly asked. Okara averted her gaze, mouth pressed into a long and taut line as her face grew hotter, making her look like a low heat candle. 

“That came out wrong, um…” Okara stammered, unsure of how to proceed. “I was making a joke and it came out as a pick up line famous among the Azorean Tribe, instead,” she finally looked back at the stunned Martian, as if knowing she was going to be knocked into the floor headfirst, yet again. “Don’t kill me, please?”

“Aahh, she won’t kill you.” Europa announced from beside her, slinging her arm over the smaller female’s shoulders and pulling her in for a rough hug as she gestured to the buffet table, where Okara could see a large pitcher filled with dark amber liquid by the center. “I think I can get her to loosen up with the  _ Ajjhi _ over there!”

Okara paled, knowing what was about to happen. “I think I’ll skip out on the drinks. Aris?” 

“Without a doubt.” Aris firmly put down, knowing that she was likely going to be  _ beyond _ impaired by the strong liquor after at least two cupfuls. 

“Come on, it’s not like you’ll be too drunk to know what you’re doing afterwards!” Europa loudly cheered, and Okara couldn’t help but break out into a cold sweat at the notion as she averted her eyes anywhere but where they were standing.

One thing that she never told any form of company that she had was that she was a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol- much like her late father- despite only just coming into adulthood(by Saiyan standards). 

Aris stubbornly refused, stating that she had matters that she had to be up at dawn for. Europa turned her attention to Okara as she attempted- and failed- to free herself from the Jovian woman’s grip so she could find the nearest flight to the nearest uninhabited planet, and an idea suddenly came to mind.

“How about this?” Europa’s voice and smirk were uncharacteristically impish, as if she were planning a feat of humorous intent that screamed of danger. “If you can win an arm-wrestling match against me,” Okara’s face was as white as the ice caps on Terra now, “You can go without having a drink, tonight. If not,” Okara looked ready to piss herself from the fear, silently praying to the entirety of the Saiyan Pantheon for her life. “You have to drink that entire pitcher of  _ Ajjhi _ . And I will be watching you.”

Okara silently wrote her last will and testament as Europa snagged an empty table, already in position with her arm held into the air and a challenging smirk on her face. 

“C’mon. I thought that you liked a challenge, ‘Kara. Don’t tell me that the Chiefess is a chicken.” Europa taunted, and Okara scowled as she took her place before the Jovian woman, clasping her hand tightly to ensure that their bet would be a fair one.

“You might be the stronger one, but by Shah, I’ll do my damndest.” Okara growled playfully. 

Europa started to push Okara’s arm down, but Okara refused to give in without a fight and managed to push the Jovian back a bit, much to everyone’s surprise, only for Europa to put five times the strength she had originally put into her initial move and send her crashing through the table, splitting the rocky surface in twain from the force she had used and sending a large cloud of dust and debris all over their corner of the room. 

Cassiopeia, who had been watching the ordeal from where she sat beside Serenity and Lyra, held a hand out towards the Mercurian woman with a smug grin on her face. 

Lyra could only grumble and hand over a small pouch filled with coin- silvers in particular, while Serenity looked dumbstruck. 

“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but Okara might have a broken arm, now…” she said to the older women, knowing that she was correct as the dust died down enough for everyone to stop coughing madly.

“I’m okay-” Okara’s voice came from the center of the cloud, practically wheezing. “Nothing’s broken. Nothing except for the table is broken,”

“And that means, I win the bet! Or did that slip your mind, yet?” Europa boisterously called out, throwing her arms into the air out of triumph as Okara groaned out of sheer misery. 

“Fine, fine. I get it, Europa. Over to the  _ Ajjhi _ I go.” Okara resigned herself to her fate, walking over to the awaiting pitcher.  _ ‘Khagan, don’t forsake me now.’ _

Okara swallowed apprehensively, looking back to see Europa’s unsettling grin, Aris facepalming, Lyra grumbling, Cassiopeia interested and Serenity looking as if she had truly dreaded the out come from the very beginning. 

Gripping the glass handle, Okara steeled herself for the inevitable chaos she was about to bring- and chugged, not drank,  _ chugged  _ the entirety of the alcoholic beverage.

Everyone, Europa included, was surprised into silence by her sudden leap of faith, and Okara stood still as she slammed the now empty container down onto the surface of the buffet without so much as a peep as she swayed a little. 

Then one unlucky Saiyan trainee from what looked like the Saturnian garrison walked in, noticed a very silent and very still Okara standing before what used to be a full pitcher of liquor… and attempted to walk away when a loud hiccup came from his fellow militant. 

“Veeeelio~” she slurred, and immediately, Velio knew to get the hell out of there.

He didn’t make it five feet before she pounced onto his back, purring as if her mind had taken a momentary change to feline instead of warmongering woman. 

**_“HELP ME, PLEASE?!”_ ** Velio screamed to anyone nearby as he attempted to pry her off, loudly enough to wake the dead and for Okara to cover her ears. 

“I’d help if I knew she wasn’t going to sink her fangs into my arms, so I can’t help you at all, there, man.” One boy spoke up, having dealt with a drunken Okara before, and others in the room voiced their assent to his testimony as Velio paled, feeling the fur on his tail stand up on end as Okara pressed herself flush against him.

“What, you don’t enjoy being made a horse, ‘Lio?” Okara slurred into his ear with an uncharacteristically suggestive grin, and his attempts to get her off of his body grew more frantic as he screamed his head off like a dying  _ Ikkav’a _ . 

Europa looked like she hadn’t been expecting the sudden turn of events to happen, Aris gave the Jovian a look that said “This is why Okara never drinks,” Cassiopeia was barely holding back her laughter, Lyra was recording notes on the spectacle, and Serenity was repeating a mantra of “Not again” as she immediately darted over to the two to separate them before Okara got way too out of control. 

“So, Um. Does Okara happen to be a lightweight?” Europa sheepishly asked. 

“Unfortunately she is.” Aris monotoned, pinching the bridge of her nose as if she felt a headache coming on.

“Veeeeelioooo, c’mon! I’m taking you home tonight!” Okara drunkenly yelled out, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was the rather overly hormonal type of drunk. 

“Okay, it looks like it’s time to pry her off of the poor boy before she decides to claim him right then and there,” Aris sped over to give Serenity some help with the rest of the senshi in tow, given that the Lunarian woman was having little success in trying to catch the inebriated Saiyan female as she attempted to bring her newest “prospect” to bed with her.

_**~:x:~** _   
  


“I am never betting over alcohol with Okara ever again,” Europa breathed out two hours later, forearms sunken into a pail of cool water to soothe the sting of several bitemarks from deceptively sharp teeth. 

It had taken quite a bit of coaxing and literally prying the young Saiyan off of the boy to get her sedated before she could do any lasting damage- and that had taken quite a bit longer than the royals had suspected before she lost her damn mind and decided to start trying to kill them instead.

“Chariot of Zeus, this hurts. I know the girl has  _ fangs _ , but I wasn’t expecting all of her teeth to be that sharp!” the Jovian hissed from discomfort, slowly withdrawing her soaked limbs from the pail.

“I’m pretty sure that none of us were, Europa,” Aris lightly admonished, wiping the side of her hand clear of blood from a rather deep bitemark. “As it stands, maybe next time you two make a bet out of something, you can bet on something that has absolutely nothing to do with alcohol.” 

If Europa had been a wolf, her ears would be lowered. “I already apologized, Aris. Really, I did.” 

“If anything, the real problem will be with Okara’s hangover tomorrow,” Lyra intoned, rubbing some healing salve on her wrist before wrapping it in bandages. “And if she’s this bad when  _ inebriated _ , then I shudder to think about what she’ll act like when she’s sick.”

“And having seen her when hung over, it is not worth waking her up for the pain later.” Serenity grumbled. 

At once, all eyes turned to the Lunarian Princess. 

“What do you mean, ‘pain?’” Cassiopeia demanded as Aris readied her pyromantic abilities. 

“I mean the near-constant vomiting, trying to get her to take some medicine so the vomiting can  _ stop _ , and making sure that she takes a shower, depending on how much was in that pitcher,” Serenity added with a deadpan look on her face. “Because otherwise she’s like that for most of the day if she gets up on her own.”

They all winced simultaneously, sparing a glance at the knocked-out Saiyan on the makeshift cot in the far end of the infirmary. 

“Okay, maybe I should have bet that the loser walked on hot coals for five minutes intead.” Europa mumbled, erintite eyes darkening in thought. 

Okara moved slightly as she slept, mumbling things in Sadalan that sounded indecipherable to even Lyra’s ears. 

“Is she waking up?” Serenity asked out of concern, grabbing a clean, lined and empty bucket for the young woman to expel the contents of her stomach into. 

As if on cue, Okara groaned loudly from the pain of her skull-splitting headache and rolled onto her side... before her amethyst eyes shot open wide and she clapped a hand over her mouth, face as green as Europa’s shoulder cape. 

Serenity tossed over the bucket and Okara caught it just in time to throw her head into it, and the vile sound (and  _ stench _ ) of vomit erupting free from one’s mouth filled the room as everyone else grimaced from disgust. 

“I am never-  _ hrk _ \- taking you up on a bet again,” The military graduate groaned, feeling her stomach roll like a ball. " _Especially_ not with alcohol,"

Europa winced. “I probably should have asked if you were a lightweight in the first place.”

Okara waved a shaky hand, knowing that the Jovian felt a bit guilty. “Neither of us has anyone to blame but my father’s low alcohol tolerance,” she managed, placing down the bucket to go over to the washbasin. “And when he was alive, even the lightest of ales got him tipsy.”

“So it’s genetic, I assume?” Lyra inquired, storing away the new information. 

“With Saiyans, it’s actually impossible to tell,” Okara started, having washed off her face and splashed it a few times. “I know one thing though- the few things that most Saiyans get from their parents are facial features, skin and eye color. The tails, dental structure, and lunar problems are what almost all Saiyans have in common- despite being capable of opening our eyes just a few minutes after being born, it can take a while for a Saiyan cub to actually absorb any form of visible light, ranging from a full Sadalan week to about two Terran months.” Okara inundated, swaying slightly as she went to dispose of the bucket. 

She reappeared five minutes later, trying not to gag as she avoided looking at any light when Serenity spoke up again. “I beg your pardon, but did you say “ _ lunar problems _ ?” Because I don’t know if that was an insult or not.”

Okara shook her head. “It wasn’t an insult so much as it was me showing my dislike of not being able to stare at the full moon as much as I’d like.”

Serenity blinked.

“Saiyan eyes- or rather, our retina, cornea and irises- work in a more complicated fashion than those of other species do. Especially with moonlight, since it tends to throw a badly warped monkey wrench into our plans if we’re out on a hunt or otherwise… no pun intended.” Okara explained. “You remember when I was showing you Sadala earlier, correct? I’d mentioned something about what would happen if Sadala’s Tribes got into another global civil war?”

They nodded their assent, showing that they remembered. 

“Well, you’re about to get an unwanted biology lesson about the Saiyan race. See, how our eyes absorb visible light is the same as most species in this system- but the problem truly comes around with moonlight.

“Reason for that being that since the moon doesn’t project any natural light of its own, it reflects sunlight off its surface much like a mirror reflects an object in its vicinity. Saiyans, on the other hand, absorb a certain amount of moonlight through the retina- and that sets off a chemical reaction in our tails that makes our physiques act accordingly. From there, we quite literally grow to be the size of the Kaiser statue in Bactan Territory- only much more like the monkeys on Terra in appearance unless you count the fact that our eyes turn red from pupil to sclera,” Okara further spoke, glancing toward the Mercurian royal frantically writing notes. “And it makes us a bit more… well, animalistic. When transformed, it’s a bit hard to see reason because our more beastly personalities take effect, and unless you’ve got either the experience, mental fortitude or sheer stubbornness, a transformed Saiyan is, for lack of a better term, uncontrollable. Restraint is usually a blurred line for us, but if a Saiyan looks at the full moon for long enough then what little there was will up and vanish.”

Okara was silent for a bit, fishing a thin red cord out of a hidden pocket in her pants and pulling her hair back to tie it in a ponytail. “Well, that’s the end of my miniature biology lesson. I understand if you guys won’t even touch me with a thirty foot pole after this.”

Europa touched a finger to her chin. “Now that you say it, I think that makes a bit more sense.”

They all turned to her. “How?”

“Think about it for a moment. How many times do we see her when the Planetary Summit rolls around? The moon on Terra is full for three days once a month, and the first night of the summit is on the first full moon of the sixth month, and ends on the final. She probably studied Terra’s lunar calendar to avoid any mishaps.” Europa explained, voice calm as Okara nodded. 

“It’s also why I prefer to be wherever the most dense storms are.” Okara added on.

“So  _ that’s _ why you don’t go out at night most of the time- because a certain amount of moonlight triggers the transformation when absorbed!” Lyra exclaimed, scribbling a slight bit more frantic. 

“Actually, the transformation can only be triggered when the moon is full, and depending on the intensity of the sunlight reflected off of it, the chances of the transformation being triggered often raise or lower the overall possibility. We also tend to become transfixed to it as soon as we see a full moon- almost like we’ve seen the face of Diyan, Herself.” Okara further spoke as she adjusted her armband to where it didn’t dig into her skin. She’d finished tying her hair up and revealed something unexpected- three golden studs in both of her earlobes and two golden rings nigh snug on the cuff of the right- decorated with gemstones ranging from reddest siam to bluest zircon.

“Nice piercings. Did you have to have someone bite them in or did you miraculously get over your trypanophobia?” Aris commented teasingly.

Okara scoffed, smirking as she crossed her arms.  _ “This coming from the woman who refuses to get a tattoo because of how it’s put onto the skin?”  _ She replied in near-perfect Martian, causing her jaw to nearly fall off as Lyra stifled roars of laughter while Europa let it loose. 

“Since  _ when  _ did you learn  _ Martian _ ?” Aris questioned. 

“My first year here in this star system. Wasn’t as hard as one would think of a “bumbling, unrefined monkey” like me or any of my fellow Saiyans. Took me a few months, but I eventually got it down pat.” Okara said with confidence, her grin growing larger. “And it’s surprisingly like Sadalan- only without the glottal stops and with a much more complex dictionary.” Then, her grin turned impish, as if she were about to crack a stupid joke that would end with the infirmary quite literally on fire. “Maybe we share a common ancestry and birthworld, Aris. Or should I call you “cousin,” instead?” 

“Call me that, and you will be back in that cot unconscious and thoroughly burned,” Aris growled.

Okara’s otherworldly DNA came  _ screaming _ to the forefront, but she ruthlessly beat it down. “I’d love to pick a fight with you if I didn’t risk looking over the temple walls, so no.”

And with that, she walked out of the room as she wound her scarf around her head.

**Author's Note:**

> This, along with "From One Star To Another," was a graduation present for @sirazaroff on tumblr. I was a bit late when I posted it on tumblr, but I though it best to post it here today.


End file.
